Ordinary Breakwaters

Ermia Sarsakh
December, 2021
Introduction
Upright Breakwaters

Sloping Breakwaters

Breakwaters Covered with

Wave-dissipating Blocks
Gravity Breakwaters Pile-type Breakwaters
Upright Wave-absorbing
Block Type Breakwaters

Wave-absorbing Caisson
Type Breakwaters

Sloping-top Caisson
Breakwaters

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Upright Breakwaters

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a) Caisson type upright breakwater

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b) Concrete block type upright breakwater

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 2
Sloping Breakwaters

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a) Rubble mound breakwater

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b) Dumping block mound sloping breakwater

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 Setting of Basic Cross Section

• Wave transmission
• Caution is necessary
• Crest width based on model experiments
• Slope gradient based on calculation

• Slope gradient for rubble mound type:

1: 2 (1: 1.3) on the seaward side
1: 1.5 (1: 1.5) on the harbor side

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 Performance Verification of Stability of Sloping Section

• Slip failure of the rubble mound section is examined. The examination can
be performed for slip due to eccentric and inclined loads
• In the armor materials the thickness should also be adequate to prevent
sucking-out of the material
• Mass of the rubble and blocks be approximately 1/10 to 1/15 that of the
armor units or more

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Partial Factors

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Performance Verification for Stability of Breakwater Head

▷ The head section be constructed in a semi-circular shape

▷ Using armor units with a mass 1.5 times that of the body
section or more

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 3
Breakwaters Covered with
Wave-dissipating Blocks

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Cross Sections

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Setting of Basic Cross Section

▷ Upright section crown height = composite breakwaters

▷ Height of wave-dissipating = upright section
▷ The breakwaters covered with wave-dissipating blocks,
overtopping waves and transmitted < the upright
breakwaters and the composite breakwaters with the
same crown heights.

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Partial Factors

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All partial factors indicated here are values for the case where the design working
life is the normal 50 years.
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Performance Verification for Stability of Armoring Section

▷ Regular placing is used rather than pell-mell placing of the

armor material → the necessary mass may be determined
at the judgment of the responsible engineer.
▷ The thickness of the armor layer in case of pell-mell
placing shall generally be 2 layers or more.

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Performance Verification For Stability of Breakwater Tip

▷ Constructed in a semi-circular shape

▷ Using armor units with a mass of 1.5 times that of the
body or more

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Upright Wave-absorbing
Block Type Breakwaters

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Principals of Performance Verification

▷ Various types of structures have been developed

▷ Select appropriate blocks based on an adequate investigation
▷ The wave reflection coefficient depends upon the wave period
▷ Generally used in inner bays or the inside of harbors
▷ For small heights waves

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Setting of Basic Cross Section

▷ Crown height = composite breakwaters

▷ hc
▷ h'c
▷ hu

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Partial factors

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 5
Wave-absorbing Caisson
Type Breakwaters

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Principals of Performance Verification

▷ Hydraulic characteristics are still insufficiently understood

▷ It is preferable to perform hydraulic model tests
▷ Features in comparison with the composite breakwaters:
• Reduction in reflected waves
• Reduction in wave overtopping and transmitted waves
• Reduction in wave force
• It possesses a sea water aeration function

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Actions

▷ Verification of wave-absorbing performance can be set

separately from verification of the stability
▷ Generally adopted for the purpose of reducing reflected
waves
▷ Necessary to determine wave force using calculation
formulas or hydraulic model tests
▷ The most severe wave force conditions for each member
should be used

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Setting of Basic Cross Section

▷ The required dimensions should be determined appropriately,

considering the shape of the structure
▷ Determine the dimensions considering these characteristics:
• Wave overtopping
• Transmitted waves
• Wave force

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Partial factors

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 6
Sloping-top Caisson
Breakwaters

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Utilizes the wave force acting on the sloping wall to
stabilize the breakwater body simultaneously by
reducing the horizontal wave force

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Fundamentals of Performance Verification

▷ Normally the sloping surface begin at the SWL

▷ The upright part at the front is armored with wave-dissipating
blocks

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Setting of Basic Cross Section
▷ At the same crown height, the coefficient of wave
transmission of the sloping-top caisson breakwaters = 2 times
that of the upright breakwaters
▷ Gradient of the sloping wall the effectiveness of the
structure against wave transmission in the harbor
▷ 𝜃 = 45

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Partial factors

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 6
Sloping-top Caisson
Pile-type Breakwaters
Breakwaters

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Fundamentals of Performance Verification

▷ divided into curtain wall and steel pipe pile

▷ The curtain wall breakwater: permeable - used in waters
with a low wave height
▷ Steel pipe pile breakwater :curtain section is eliminated -
waves are stopped only by the piles

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Curtain wall breakwaters features

▷ Reduction in Kr as same level as wave-dissipating

▷ Exchange of sea water can be expected through slits
▷ Energy dissipating effect with the double-curtain-walled
▷ Velocity of flows passing under the curtain wall is quite high
▷ It is necessary to take appropriate acions to prevent or
washing-out of sand

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Setting of Basic Cross Section

▷ Considering:
• the condition of sea states in the area
• the target reflection coefficient
• the target transmission coefficient
• constructability

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Thanks!

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